Top 5 reasons motorists to Bonnaroo get ticketed by THP

NASHVILLE — If you're heading to Bonnaroo this week, slow down, buckle up and make sure your driver's license and registration are valid and handy.

Those are the Top 5 reasons visitors heading to the popular music festival near Manchester, Tenn., get ticketed by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the THP and Tennessee Department of Transportation said Monday.

About 80,000 music fans will converge on the four-day event roughly halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga Thursday through Sunday, and to keep them safe and traffic moving on Interstate 24, TDOT and THP are focusing their attention on the area.

The agencies on Monday released alternate-route information and traffic plans, along with the numbers of citations issued by state troopers during the 2012 festival.

Bonnaroo opens its gates at 8 p.m. Wednesday to allow more time for vehicles to enter the festival's campgrounds. For the first time, the speed limit on I-24 in the festival area — between mile markers 104.6 and 129.4 — will be reduced to 55 mph during Bonnaroo. Mile marker 129.4 eastbound is where the speed limit permanently drops to 55 mph to go over Monteagle Mountain.

Exit 111 at Tennessee 55 is the main festival exit. Alternate exits are 97, 105, 112 (a temporary exit on the westbound side only), 117 and 127. TDOT will provide variable message signs to warn drivers of delays. Festival traffic will be kept in the right lane or on the shoulder of the interstate to allow through-traffic in the left lane.

Motorists may call 511 from any mobile or landline phone for traffic updates, visit the TDOT website at www.tn.gov/tdot and follow TDOT on Twitter at TN511 (and regional traffic information at Memphis511, Knoxville511, Chattanooga511 and Nashville511.